6 



RAISING GUINEA PIGS. 



fitness for the table. All the species of wild cavies are accounted 

 good game in South America. Rock cavies, especially, are much 

 hunted in parts of Brazil. Probably the small size of the domestic 

 species is the chief cause for its neglect as a food animal, yet we have 

 other highly esteemed game animals that furnish less meat than a 

 guinea pig. 



The Peruvian method of dressing the guinea pig for cooking is the 

 one generally adopted wherever it is eaten. The animal is killed by 

 dislocating its neck, after which it goes through about the same pro- 

 cesses as a sucking pig in preparation for cooking. Its throat is cut, 

 it is hung up for a few minutes to bleed, and is then scalded in water 

 not too hot at first. The hair is removed, the skin scraped with a knife, 

 the viscera taken out, and the carcass washed in tepid water. It is 

 then ready for the cook. The Peruvians usually roasted the animals, 

 but the number of possible ways of cooking them is unlimited. 

 Charles Cumberland states that they are excellent eating when cooked 

 in any of the ways that are commonly applied to small game. They 

 may be baked whole, or may be cut into pieces and fried or fricasseed. 

 Says Cumberland : 



Cavies are excellent as entrees in various stews — with mushrooms, with brown 

 onions, with green peas, a la soubise, and especially in curry. A practical cook will 

 have no difficulty in varying the preparations, and I will undertake to say that it will 

 be found difficult to make them other than "very good meate. " ^ 



On account of the whiteness of its skin the smooth-haired white 

 (albino) guinea pig is best adapted for the table. The males become 

 somewhat strong-flavored with age, but are said to be fijie when 4 

 or 5 months old. Females are said to be tender and finely flavored 

 for a much longer time. They are probably at their best when about 

 a year old. 



SCIENTIFIC USE FOR GUINEA PIGS. 



Guinea pigs are in much demand for experimental uses in the prep- 

 aration, testing, and standardizing of serums and antitoxins. They 

 are well adapted for this purpose, being small and easily handled. 

 Their use in medical research is steadily increasing, and some of the 

 large institutions, unable to secure a steady supply of reliable stock 

 for their purposes, have set up breeding establishments of their own. 



Sometimes guinea pigs found in bird stores are unfit for laboratory 

 experiments. They may have been previously used for serum or 

 antitoxin tests or may be the offspring of animals that have survived 

 such tests. Unless the dealer knows the source from which the 

 animals came and can absolutely guarantee that they have never been 

 used for experiments, he can rarely sell them to institutions. Any 



1 The Guinea Pig for Food, Fur, and Fancy, London (n. d.), p. 41. 



525 



